


Gone straight

by Simbanrat



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25960336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simbanrat/pseuds/Simbanrat
Summary: When Callum started to train to become a policeman and asked Ben to go straight, he wasn't sure it was entirely what he wanted after all.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	Gone straight

**Author's Note:**

> Little quick story I had an idea for. No real plot or point though I'm afraid.

Ben knew that Callum wanted him to go straight, to go fully legit and to cut out all the dodgy deals and illegal activity. When his boyfriend announced his intention to join the police force, Ben had been distraught. He tried to act supportive initially but when he left Callum to go back to work he took a detour and stormed home, crashing into the house and going off on one to Jay and Lola about how disastrous it is and he couldn’t date a cop. They fell about laughing at his predicament, finding it absolutely hilarious and Ben was wounded that they weren’t taking it seriously.

He seemed to be the only one who saw a problem with the situation, everyone else seemed to think it was a great idea, Callum having an actual career and a job he really wanted to do. They didn’t realise what it would mean for Ben and Callum’s relationship. A Mitchell couldn’t date a cop, crime ran in their veins and it would never work between them. Callum wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye to the stolen motors that were right under his nose, the thieving or money laundering. No, something had to give and Ben really didn’t want it to be their relationship. 

When Callum suggested Ben went straight he wasn’t impressed, he didn’t see why he had to change who he was because his boyfriend wanted a new job. Callum fell for him, criminal side included, so was who he was no longer good enough? It’s not like he hasn’t thought that his whole life anyway but now he was starting to believe his boyfriend believed it too. 

He thought on it for a while, worried that if he said no that Callum would finish it, but equally worried that if he agreed he’d lose who he was. He’d already spent a lot of his life hiding his true self and pretending to be someone else, he wondered if it was possible to shove his Mitchellness back into the closet and pretend to be someone he wasn’t again. He figured it was worth a shot if he wanted things to work between them. 

So Ben told his dad that he was out of the family business, the only cars he would accept at the Arches or car lot would be 100% legit and he had no interest in any of the side businesses Phil tried to drag him into on a regular basis. Phil wasn’t happy, he threatened, shouted and argued til he was red in the face but Ben wouldn’t be moved and he was determined to make it work.

Callum was surprised at the turnaround. He didn’t actually believe that Ben would agree to it and he definitely didn’t believe that he would stick to it. He expected there to be some deals happening on the side, something illegal happening somewhere, whispering in corners or strange characters hanging about. But there was nothing.

Ben got up for work in the morning, went off to do an honest days work and returned home at the same time everyday. He had dinner on the table most nights, ready for when Callum got home from his training at weird hours and tidied things away when the flat was getting messy. It unnerved Callum. He was expecting something to happen, waiting to hear about Ben getting into trouble but it never came. No altercations, no bar fights or squaring up to people drunk in bars. 

Things were calm for a few months, Ben seemingly fell into the legit life easily and relished not having to do crap to impress his dad. With a blanket ban on anything dodgy Phil stopped trying to get Ben to do anything, letting him live his life without getting him involved in his stupid schemes. Ben felt guilty to start with, letting his family down, but when Callum came home from work with his beautiful smile and sparkling eyes it all seemed worth it. 

As much as Ben was enjoying his new life, Callum started to feel something was off. It was lovely having Ben at home more, not worrying about what he was off doing or getting in trouble somewhere, but he missed the excitement of all that. He felt awful, he’s the one who asked Ben to give it all up and now he wished he wasn’t quite so on the straight and narrow. 

He started to wish Ben would say yes to something his dad asked him, or he’d walk into the Arches on a lunch break and see Ben try to hide some paperwork away from him. Even if they went to the pub and someone knocked into them, he wouldn’t mind if Ben got a little bit angry and roughed them up a bit. He started to feel ashamed that he was thinking all that, knowing how hard Ben has worked to give up a life of crime and how much happier he seemed lately. 

Ben was happier, with no expectations on him for keeping up the Mitchell name or getting involved with the family business he was so much more relaxed. He went to work, did what he had to do and went home again, no nipping somewhere to meet with Tubbs to talk about the money lending or having dodgy characters dropping off stolen cars at the car lot. 

He had more time to spend doing what he wanted to, seeing Lexi and being a dad and spending time with Callum. He was so unsure at the start how things were going to work out with Callum being a copper but it really didn’t matter once he gave up the illegal shit that had plagued his life for the last few years. Ben was happy going straight and he was sure that Callum was happy too. 

One day, not long after Callum had officially qualified as a police officer, Ben came home with a black eye. Callum’s eyes widened when he walked in the door with his head cast down not wanting to look at his boyfriend. Callum rushed over to him to grab at his face and direct it up so he could get a proper look at the bruise, it was light now but he could tell it was going to be dark and imposing in the morning. 

“Ben what happened?”

Ben tried to pull his face out of Callum’s hands but they were so big they didn’t loosen their grip. Ben’s eyes were rolling in his head trying to avoid eye contact and eventually Callum told him to stop being so stupid and tell him what’s gone on. 

“I got into a fight”

Callum was torn. There was a little thrill that went through him thinking about Ben getting in a fight, that the bad boy was still in there somewhere, but the sad look on his boyfriend’s face made him feel bad about thinking like that. Ben looked so ashamed of himself and that he’d let Callum down, that he was trying so hard and failed. 

“What happened?”

“Some dick bumped into Lo at the Albert at lunch, they didn’t apologise and were being a massive bellend, I couldn’t help it. I’m so sorry babe, I know I’ve let you down and ruined things but…”

“Hey hey hey, hang on, you haven’t let me down and you haven’t ruined anything”

“But I got in a fight…”

“When I asked you to go straight I wasn’t expecting you to be completely straight”

“What?”

“I was honestly expecting there to be something, somewhere happening”

“You didn’t think I could do it?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just that I didn’t expect for you to change who you were Ben. The man I fell in love with wasn’t all black and white, he has shades of grey and I never wanted you to be fully one or the other”

“You wanted me to be grey?”

“Well I… the bad boy thing is u’know, sexy. It’s exciting…”

Callum was looking a little embarrassed, although he was still holding Ben’s face in his hands he was having trouble looking him in the eye himself admitting that he missed his criminal boyfriend a little bit. 

“Sexy huh babe?”

Ben was smirking and he reached his hands round Callum’s waist, letting them rest on his back above his belt for a moment before he let one dip between the fabric and Callum’s skin, letting his hand start to brush over the cheek of Callum’s arse. 

“You like a bad boy babe?”

Ben leaned forwards and started to kiss at Callum’s neck, his boyfriend’s hands still on his face while his own were exploring Callum’s arse. Callum took a deep breath and moved his head to give Ben better access to the skin just below his jaw, the spot Ben loved to kiss at the most. He groaned as Ben hit the spot, in truth he loved him kissing him there too and he felt his crotch starting to involuntarily thrust, wanting to make contact with his boyfriend’s. Ben pulled back with a smile, looking up at Callum’s lust filled eyes he felt a thrill go through him for the first time in months. 

“Officer Highway breaking all the rules eh”

Callum launched himself at him, slamming him up against the wall and kissing him with the pent up feelings he’d had for months, the need and want of having the old Ben back spilling out. The thought of Ben taking a swing at a random bloke in the pub a bigger turn on than he’d care to admit, his feisty little boyfriend was back and fuck was he happy. 


End file.
